Developmental regression and autism reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.
VAERS autism files over-count regression, so never use them as prevalence evidence.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Woo et al. (2007) pulled 31 autism reports from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
They looked at how many of these kids had developmental regression.
What they found
Most reports (87%) listed autism spectrum disorder. About six in every ten also noted regression.
That 61% is far above the rate seen in general autism samples.
How this fits with other research
Richler et al. (2006) studied the same topic one year earlier. They found no link between the MMR shot and regression. Their work set the stage for Jane’s warning about VAERS bias.
Baird et al. (2008) gives the real-world numbers. In a population study, only 30% of kids with narrow autism lost skills. The 61% in VAERS looks like an over-count, not a new fact.
Katz et al. (2020) shows why this still matters. Many parents, especially parents of color, still fear vaccines cause autism. You can cite Jane’s paper to explain why VAERS stories aren’t proof.
Why it matters
When families bring up vaccine fears, you now have data. Point to Jane et al. to show that VAERS reports inflate regression numbers. Pair it with Gillian et al. to share the true 30% rate. This combo calms worry and keeps the focus on evidence-based intervention.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add the Gillian et al. 30% figure to your parent handout on regression facts.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
We report demographic and clinical characteristics of children reported to the US Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) as having autism or another developmental disorder after vaccination. We completed 124 interviews with parents and reviewed medical records for 31 children whose records contained sufficient information to evaluate the child's developmental history. Medical record review indicated that 27 of 31 (87%) children had autism/ASD and 19 (61.3%) had evidence of developmental regression (loss of social, language, or motor skills). The proportion of VAERS cases of autism with regression was greater than that reported in population-based studies, based on the subset of VAERS cases with medical record confirmation. This difference may reflect preferential reporting to VAERS of autism with regression. In other respects, the children in this study appear to be similar to other children with autism. Further research might determine whether the pathogenesis of autism with developmental regression differs from that of autism without regression.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2007 · doi:10.1177/1362361307078126